Reviews (19)

Nothing quite like four crazies on the streets of New York!
This movie is hilarious. Michael Keaton, Peter Boyle, and Christopher Lloyd all give career comedy perfomances. The whole idea of four totally crazy psychiatric patients roaming the streets of New York looking for their doctor is great. Michael Keaton is perfect as the leader of the group who's view of reality is way off. Peter Boyle is great as the former executive Jesus Christ messiah. Christopher Lloyd's character (the patient who thinks he's a doctor) adds the perfect spice to the movie to make a great two hour film. I can't wait until the DVD comes out.

One of the funniest movies ever made
A side-splitting comedy about four mental patients: Michael Keaton as a habitual liar who has violent tendencies, Christopher Lloyd as an obsessive-compulsive who thinks he runs the hospital, Peter Boyle as a former advertising executive with a messiah complex who likes to take his clothes off, and Stephen Furst as catatonic couch potato. Against the wishes of the hospital administration, their compassionate doctor takes the four patients to New York City to watch a major league baseball game. When the van reaches the city, the doctor has to exit the van - with patients still inside - only to witness a murder committed by two corrupt cops. The doctor is attacked by the cops, leaving him hospitalized and unable to help his patients. The patients then find themselves framed for the murder. Now the patients have to not only act "sane" to prove their innocence, they also have to save the life of their doctor who is still a target of the two cops.

What makes this movie work is the relationship of the patients. It is so much fun watching Keaton, Lloyd, and Boyle bicker all the time about the littlest things. Boyle has a really funny scene in which he leaves the van while Lloyd tries to block him. Boyle then muscles his way past Lloyd, tells him that He shall have no false gods before Him, and finally he tells Lloyd to get out his way before calling him a seven-letter word. There might only be so much you can do with a catatonic character, but Furst is quite memorable. Even though the doctor must have the patience of a saint when dealing with them, he probably has a harder time suppressing a laugh. Quite simply, this is a movie that gets better every time you watch it.

the second best movie about schizos ever!
this movie is awesome,but borrowed heavily from one flew over the cuckoos nest.4 mental patients are taken on an outing and thier doc gets mugeed.they wander about new york for the next few days.the 4 are:michael keaton with a low frustration tolerance-he beats people up a lot over anything,2-the crazy doc from back to the future as guy who is convinced hes a dr.3-a guy who thinks hes jesus christ and finaly,a chubby little man who only communicates in baseball terminology.children wont understand this but its pretty harmless.it is the second best movie starring mental patients ive ever seen.it is sad in one spot but it goes past quickly.keatons girlfriend is not all that sexy.but i guess you cant be picky when youre an escaped schizo.the guy who acts like a dr is obnoxious with his by the book attitude.michael keaton however does an excellent job in this one.its his best performance.there is a mess up in the film.at the hospital,the real dr has aq cast on a foot of his.later yet,he is helped out of a van with the cast on the other foot.a great film.

What would happen if four insane men were loose in NYC?
This story is a creative, hilarious story about 4 insane men loose in NYC, trying to solve a crime. They find that they can behave in a relitively sane manner and they learn how to work as a group. It is extremely funny. A must see!

"Ah, It's Great To Be Young And Insane" - Michael Keaton
The Dream Team is just another one of those killer comedies that no one went to see when it was originally released, but has now found a nice following on home video. I actually saw the film in theaters and thought it was hands down the funniest movie of the year!

First you have a great comedy ensemble who also can play drama just as effectively. Michael Keaton is Billy Caufield ("I'm an escaped mental patient with a history of violence"), Christopher Lloyd is Henry Sikorsky, an overly organized person ("Why don't we bring this up in group? Or maybe we should just hug?"), Peter Boyle is Jack McDermott who has a Messiah complex ("Arise and walk, my son"), & Stephen Furst is Albert Ianuzzi, who only speaks in TV ads and baseball jargon ("Nobody doesn't like Sara Lee").

If you don't already know by now, these guys are four mental patients, whose doctor, played by Dennis Boutsikaris ("One more afternoon in the rec room and I'm gonna have to go on Thorazine myself"), decides to take them to a baseball game in New York. Only things don't go as planned, as the good doctor ends up getting knocked unconscious and whisked away to a hospital, leaving his patients all alone on the streets of New York City. And the comedy ensues! As the gang tries to figure out a way to find their doctor, they end up finding "themselves" in the process. Add Lorraine Bracco (of "Goodfellas" and "The Sopranos" fame) as Keaton's girlfriend ("So am I walking home with an escaped mental patient or what?") and you know you're set to have a good time.

What makes the film memorable is that it has the perfect blend of laugh outloud humor ("We're a special combat unit with the United States Marine Corps and we've been tracking some Libyan terrorists. In fact I think we've got 'em trailed to a bagel shop around the corner.") combined with some tender dramatic moments, that work together seamlessly.

The DVD is your typical standard DVD. No extras, other than the original theatrical trailer. Happily the film is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, which looks pretty good. A little dark in some spots, but not too much to complain about.

So if you're looking for a comedy that's full of great laughs as well as a good story with some dramatic moments thrown in for good measure, pick up The Dream Team today. It's the sanest choice to make!

The Dream Team - a very funny movie.

Henry - "We're directly under the Hudson River now".

Billy - "Yeah. You guys see those tiles up there, all those individual tiles? Doc, isn't true that if even one of those tiles were to come loose, like millions and millions of gallons of water would come pouring down on us and crush us like tiny little bugs? (pauses) Is that a leak up there? You see those tiles? They're leakin' water! Oh, my God!"

Jack - "I will hold back the waters".

Billy - "Thanks, Jack". ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Neither Good Nor Bad
ROMANCING THE STONE could be seen as the poor man's Indiana Jones movie. It's short on snappy dialogue, coherent plot and memorable characters.

Essentially this is a vehicle for Douglas as rough and ready Jack Colton, and Turner to show her versatility as Joan Wilder, the novelist who sheds her loner image and eventually becomes a heroine. Danny DeVito crops up as a slimy rival to the duo's quest, but his part is overplayed and underwritten.

The story as it is revolves around Wilder going to Columbia to rescue her kidnapped sister. This leads her into a journey of adventure to recover a fabled jewel with adventurer Colton. An almost sinister kidnapping becomes a farcical adventure comedy: I found the switching in tone of this movie at times confusing, and at other times far too blunt.

Whilst ROMANCING THE STONE is not a movie that will leave any lasting impression on you, it is passable as entertainment - saved as it is by the one thing that causes it so many problems: the reliance on the Turner-Douglas on-screen relationship to carry it through.

On A Par With Indiana Jones Movies
Without even looking at other reviews, I'm sure I'm the first to draw this parallel.

*uses pliers to remove tongue from cheek*

Romancing the Stone jumped in to ride the wave of adventure movie semi-fanaticism spawned by the Indiana Jones movies, but gave us a more comedic villain in Danny DeVito; a less indomitable and less scrupulous hero in Michael Douglas; more pratfalls, and a stronger, less nice, more sultry heroine in Kathleen Turner.

There are several things that make this a five-star adventure movie. The action and the pace are great; there is a moderately complex plot; the special effects, while less than what you see in an Indy movie, are well-done; the music is rousing, and the scenery/setting is gorgeous. But, what I see as setting this film apart is the same factor I've noticed in most of my favorite films: the actors appear to be having the times of their lives playing their parts to the utmost. They seem to be enjoying being their absolute most in their parts, and their enthusiatic spills off the screen and flows through the room.

If you are a fan of adventure movies, you should see this one.

Romantic Comedy Adventure: Turner And Douglas
This 1984 film was the first that brought together the incredible on-screen chemistry of Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas. The film, a romantic and comic version of the Indiana Jones films, involves a romance novelist (Kathleen T) and how she gets wrapped up in a hunt for a rare and valuable diamond. As her love interest and her partner in the search is Michael Douglas. At first, the two don't get along very well. Their fighting and bickering as well as game-playing (they each plan to dump the other and take the diamond for themselves) is only an overture to the subsequent romance and passion that overwhelms them. At the end of the movie, they are on a boat on top of a car in New York City headed for a romantic world travel adventure.

This movie also stars Danny Devito (this team- Turner, Douglas and Da Vito would later make War Of The Roses which was a darker comedy about a nightmare divorce). Danny DeVito is hilarious as he is a shlemiel. The location was shot in South America, specifically Columbia, and the lush scenes of photographic landscapes - jungles, rivers, waterfalls, rapids and villages, make this a very engaging adventure story. Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas are really great together and it is the real salvation of the movie. For Turner's character, her life becomes an adventure and a romance as any of the novels she has written. Highly enjoyable, very comedic and never aging, this movie is a welcome fill for any space in your DVD collection. On DVD, it's even better. Greater color and sound, picture quality and bonus feature such as insight on the film, the actors and commentary.

Jewls For Romance
This is the story of a romance writer, who needs a romance. It's a silly story but fun none the less. It's a chick flick I guess but it's fun.

Great casting
Who knew that Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas would turn out to be such a super casting duo? And then add Danny DeVito to the mix as the inept, addled wannabe villain, and you've got an instant winner. The story line revolves around a romance novelist (Turner) accidentally gone astray in Colombia. Douglas is her opportunistic rescuer/ally, and the pratfalls and plot twists keep coming fast enough to keep an audience on the edge of their seats. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Writer-director Meir Zarchi's controversial story of rape and revenge has lost none of its ability to shock viewers since it first gained notoriety in the late '70s. Camille Keaton (grand-niece of Buster Keaton and, later, Zarchi's wife) stars as a young woman who is terrorized and then brutally assaulted by four men while on vacation. After slowly pulling herself together, she methodically tracks down and butchers each of the perpetrators. Zarchi's film has been consistently accused of celebrating violence against women, and while the rape scenes are graphic, they also lack the voyeuristic qualities that earmark other similarly plotted exploitation films. If anything, Zarchi is guilty of awkward scripting; the dialogue is leaden, and Keaton's transformation from victim to avenger is too swift. But to label him a pornographer is wrong, and while the film is challenging--perhaps more than most audiences can bear--its depiction of the psychology of violence is undeniably powerful. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (158)

At last Meir Zarchi explains himself
Well, now all the folks who wish writer/director Meir Zarchi would explain his controversial, infamous, and disturbing rape and revenge film can get their wish for the price of this Millennium edition DVD, which includes a feature-length commentary by Zarchi. In this commentary, Zarchi confirms what this film's defenders (including me) have been claiming all along -- that his intention was definitely not to promote rape to his male viewers, but rather to expose the true ugliness of the crime. He talks at length about the real-life encounter with a rape victim that inspired the film, and about the people he worked with in making it. He also discusses the technical aspects in enough detail to prove this is not the shoddy, haphazard production some folks want to claim it is. I also learned a few interesting facts about the film business in general. For example, when you submit a movie to the MPAA, they'll tell you it has to be cut to get an R rating, but they won't tell you WHAT to cut.

Besides answering your questions about the film, Zarchi's commentary also provides a clue as to what sort of person he is. Overall, he comes across as intelligent, articulate, and even compassionate.

However, he also comes across as a bit egotistical, which is why the second feature-length commentary by Joe Bob Briggs is useful for its more balanced perspective. Although Briggs defends the movie, pointing out specific scenes that exemplify its anti-rape viewpoint, he's objective enough to point out flaws where he sees them. For example, why on earth did Johnny send the mentally-challenged Matthew back to the house to kill Jennifer, when Matthew was almost certain to bungle the job? Briggs also addresses two ethical questions that have always bothered me. The first is whether Matthew deserves to die, and the second is whether Johnny's wife and children deserve to have their husband/father respectively taken away from them.

This DVD also includes various trailers, TV spots, and posters, including some promoting the movie under its original title, DAY OF THE WOMAN. There are also posted from a wide assortment of countries, in a wide assortment of languages. I wish the extras had also included the original version of the opening, with the title DAY OF THE WOMAN in the credits, but maybe there are no prints in existence.

So, if you want to own this movie on DVD, this is the edition to buy. If you own an earlier edition, you might consider selling it to raise part of the price of this one.

Wow..........oh yeah did i mention Wow
Let me first start off by saying that i am horror fan thru and thru but this was somthin i wasn't really expecting in a movie.
I heard about this movie from people, about how shocking it was and how just plain raw it was. Now i have seen all The Faces of Death and alot of gore in my day, but this was different.This movie made my stomach turn with its vivid depiction of rape.I mean the rape sequences in this movie are unparallel to anything i have ever seen or want to see for that matter. I gave it four stars just because of how powerful of a movie it really is.
The revenge plot to the movie is sweet the kills kinda like friday the 13th... the film it self is low budget but i think thats why its good, gives it a sense of realism. Let me warn you if you think this is another Halloween or Texas Chainsaw Massacre your dead wrong.

Nice and simple
I dig this movie. I remember seeing it for the first time back around 1979. It is perhaps the oldest movie I ever vividly remember seeing. Watching it nowadays is not as shocking as the movie was when I was pre-teen, wathing it on HBO after hours. The story is pretty simple. A girl gets abused by 3 dudes and she goes back and kills them all. Just the way it should be in real life. Even to this day, some of the scenes would be considered graphic so don't let the kids watch it....the way I did I guess. Definately worth the time to watch it. Even to this day I found myself pinned to the screen watching it.

There should be more to it....
I was intrigued by the synopsis of "I Spit on Your Grave", because I love movies about women getting revenge, like "Kill Bill", and "Sleepaway Camp 2". I had been contemplating on weather renting this or not, beucase it's soppousedly soppoused to be so shocking and graphic, that you can't bare to watch it. Well, I was able to watch the whole thing with my eyes open. And it's only sort of shocking. The death scenes are no gorier or violent than those in the "Friday the 13th" movies. Now, even tho I love films with women getting revenge, I did not love this. I only sort of liked it. The problem is is that it just didn't have enough to it. It felt like there was something missing. And it's shown in such a monotonous slide-show way. Like, okay, lets see her get raped. Now she cleans herself. Now she kills this guy. Now this guy. Now this guy. Now this guy. It makes the film feel so much shorter, and uncomplete. Now, Camille Keaton; I real liked her acting in this movie. She says everything in a really cool way, but at the same time somehow makes everything she says funny, mostly when she's talking to the guys before she kills them. Overall, I don't reccomend this unless you have to see every horror film on the shelves.

Woman's Day
A pretty young novelist rents a secluded cabin in the woods in order to have a nice, quiet place in which to hunker down and start writing the great American novel. But instead of peace and serenity, she ends up as the victim of brutal rape and torture at the hands of a band of semi-literate rednecks. She somehow survives the ordeal, though, and after regaining her physical and emotional bearing, she finds the inner strength to return to the scene of the crime and confront her attackers.... Thusly winds the plot of 1978's infamous and controversial revenge flick I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (originally titled DAY OF THE WOMAN).

In the uncut version of this soupçon-budget flick--which is the version offered on the DVD from Elite--the gang-rape and torture sequence consumes an inordinate amount of screen time. Though this sequence has sometimes been compared to the sodomy scene in Boorman's DELIVERANCE (1972), it is more often criticized as being merely gratuitous and subliminally misogynistic. Unlike Boorman, who only slyly and skillfully SUGGESTS the sodomy and torture in his famous film, the director of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, Meir Zarchi, is unflinchingly graphic in his depiction of rape. He doesn't want to do anything that might candy-coat this bitter pill, because he wants the audience to see just how abhorring such personal violation actually is.

Lauded by loyal fans as a simple film that makes an important and abstruse point, I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE is admittedly neither complex nor deep. Yes, the plotting is rudimentary and subtext is virtually nonexistent. Yes, the film lacks a musical score. And, yeah, a few of the characters are trite, shallow, and one-dimensional, and some of the dialogue is hokey. To certain aesthete filmgoers, this raw simplicity may come across as banal, sophomoric cinema. But aesthetics is only a secondary concern with this film. The primary purpose is to declare a particular message or two and to declare them as in-your-face as possible. The film DOES indeed have a couple of staunch points to make regarding the repugnance of rape and misogyny, an individual's rights regarding their body, and the justification for exacting eye-for-an-eye revenge. And it proclaims these points in a graphically straightforward manner that, if nothing else, certainly grabs the audience's attention.

The Elite DVD version of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE offers a surprisingly clear, clean anamorphic transfer of the film in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The sound, while not as impressive as the digital video, is available in Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS Surround Sound 5.1, or the original mono. The disc's extras include a feature commentary by the director, as well as a hilarious commentary track by cult-film aficionado and critic Joe Bob Briggs, the stage persona of actor/writer John Bloom. (Joe Bob's articulate, knowledgeable, and extremely humorous commentary is itself worth the disc's purchase price.) Also included are the theatrical trailers--some of which promote the film under its original title--various interviews, and press-coverage items that include the merciless repudiation of the film by some famous critics. For a film that has generated such negative publicity over the years, this is quite meritorious bonus material.

True, I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE is an exploitative splatter film with a plot that is often dismissed by critics as a tale of one city girl and handful of sadistic hayseeds traipsing through a series of grisly scenes. It's definitely not for the squeamish, but anybody who views the film is certain to walk away with a firm pathos for rape victims and a strong disdain for rapists. And since that is what the filmmakers were aiming for, I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE must be regarded as a highly successful film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A milestone comedy of the 1980s, Ruthless People delighted critics and audiences alike and set the tone of Hollywood comedies for years to come. Along with that other popular farce about wealthy Californians, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, this ingenious romp revived Bette Midler's career and launched Disney (by way of its subsidiary, Touchstone Pictures) into the lucrative production of R-rated comedies; it also ensured the star power of then-TV star Danny DeVito. Dale Launer became Hollywood's hot screenwriter du jour by cleverly reworking O. Henry's Ransom of Red Chief into a wicked tale of marital malice heightened by a bungled kidnapping. Midler is sublime as the victim of low-rent abductors ("I've been kidnapped by Kmart!"), and DeVito's the gleeful philanderer who refuses to pay ransom for his wife's unwanted return. With Anita Morris, Judge Reinhold, Helen Slater, and Bill Pullman among the plot-twisting schemers, the movie's so much fun that an eventual remake seems almost inevitable. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (34)

A Comedy Classic with an All Star Cast!!!
I saw this movie on cable, several times, I watch it every chance I get, I don't personally own it, but it will soon come into my DVD collection. The main character is played by Danny DeVito who plays philandering, money hungry tycoon Sam Stone(Danny plays this character with such relish) who has made enemies of the couple played by Helen Slater and Judge Rheinhold, whom he has wronged. They retaliate by kidnapping his wife played by Bette Middler. Put it this way the kidnappers end up being the most likable characters in the movie, with all the manuevers done by Sam Stone, his mistress played by Anita Morris, her dumb as a rock boyfriend played by Bill Pullman, the Police Commissioner, and the unsuspecting wife played by Betty Middler, who hopes to be rescued by her husband. It is funny, intelligent and it takes you for a cool entertaining ride with it's plot twists.

An 80's comedy time capsule!
I hope everyone didn't forget that Bette Midler was the highest grossing female film star of the 80's! This is the classic that will prove how she got the attention. This was released after Down And Out In Beverly Hills which brought Bette back into popularity at the movies. In fact, Down... is probably considered her funniest movie. I think Ruthless outshines all her comedies. It's sooo 80's, too! Scene after scene, this movie moves along with no time to be bored. Acting is perfect by all. Although Danny and Bette are never seen together until the end, they look so cute together. Danny Devito wants his abrasive wife kidnaped! Judge Reinhold had his multi million dollar idea stolen from Devito. Devito's mistress wants his money. And did I mention the serial killer? Very funny! I hope this will soon be re-released on DVD!

Fumbling kidnappers join forces with victim
Bette Midler in yet another one of her pain-in-the-neck roles. The wife of a wealthy man (played by Danny DeVito) is kidnapped for ransome by a desperate young couple (definite novices to the kidnapping racket), only to learn that DeVito has no intention of paying up, as he had long been tired of his nagging wife. DeVito plays up the heart-broken husband to police, while Midler and her captors are devising a plan to get even with the s.o.b.

There are many hilarious scenes, and even some moving moments of emotional sweetness, but soon past the half-way mark the engines lose steam. By the time everyone reaches the finish-line, the hot-cake has definitely cooled off. Still an enjoyable piece of light-hearted comedy, slap-stick, non-sense and all.****

'I've been kidnapped by K-Mart!"
Extremely funny movie. Danny Devito plays the part of a husband who married his wife for her money and now wants to get rid of her (he's got a girlfriend on the side). Bette Middler plays the loud-mouth rich wife. Just when Devito decides to put his plans into action, she is kidnapped. He is thrilled and refuses to pay the ransom hoping the kidnappers will follow through on their threat to knock her off if he doesn't pay up. While he's laughing and celebrating, the police think he's mourning. The kidnappers find they've taken on more than the average kidnapped victim, especially since they are really a soft-hearted couple who felt Danny owed them for ripping off the wife's idea. Bette Midler is no tame, soft spoken woman.

The movie is one of those side-splitting comedies that is great from the start to the finish! Enjoy!

Ruthlessly Funny
Sam Stone only married his wife, Barbara, for her money. Now he's anxious to get rid of her. Before he can do the deed, though, someone does him a huge favor by kidnapping her. What could be better? All he has to do is not pay the ransom and his problem is solved. Barbara's bungling kidnappers find themselves stuck with a worthless hostage.

RUTHLESS PEOPLE is a very funny movie. It's well plotted, well acted and keeps you laughing all the way. While not quite a classic, it was one of the top comedies of the mid-80's and resurrected Bette Midler's movie career. My only caution is that this is definitely NOT a movie for kids. Crude language is scattered throughout and there is some blatantly sexual material. While it might offend a few people, it's pretty mild by current standards. You could see almost as much in a Super Bowl halftime show.

I've liked RUTHLESS PEOPLE ever since I first saw it at the theater. It's a first-rate adult comedy. If you'd like some laughs, this is a good choice. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A box-office hit when released in 1994, this sprawling, frequently overwrought familial melodrama may get sillier as its plot progresses, but it's the kind of lusty, character-based epic that Hollywood should attempt more often. It's also an unabashedly flattering star vehicle for Brad Pitt as Tristan--the rebellious middle son of a fiercely independent Montana rancher and military veteran (Anthony Hopkins)--who is routinely at odds with his more responsible older brother, Alfred (Aidan Quinn), and younger brother, Samuel (Henry Thomas). From the battlefields of World War I to his adventures as an oceangoing sailor, Tristan's life is full of personal torment, especially when he returns to Montana and finds himself competing with Alfred over Samuel's beautiful widow (Julia Ormond), whose passion for Tristan disrupts the already turbulent Ludlow clan. Under the wide-open canopy of Big Sky country, this operatic tale unfolds with all the bloodlust, tragedy, and scenery-chewing performances you'd expect to find in a hokey bestselling novel (in fact, it's based on the acclaimed novella by Jim Harrison), but it's a potent mix that's highly entertaining. Not surprisingly, John Toll won an Academy Award for his breathtaking outdoor cinematography. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (122)

Legend of the Fall
Family values, brotherly love, Legend of the Fall is an epic which depicts every side of both.
Watching this film, it is easy to believe that Brad Pitt, Aidan Quinn and Henry Thomas are brothers and the sons of Anthony Hopkins. The love-hate relationship between Tristan, Alfred and Samuel is almost too realistic. The iron hand of a domineering father who only knows the army way leads to desparate struggles for independence and identity.
Tristin (Brad Pitt) is the middle son, favored by the father (Anthony Hopkins) because of, as well as inspite of, his wild nature. Alfred(Aidan Quinn) is the eldest son. He feels he should be most privilaged, and since he can't get honor and respect from his father, he struggles his entire life to acheive success and out do his brother. Samuel is the youngest son who is looked after by all the family. It is Samuel who brings the woman into the picture.
The struggles of life and death, love and hate weave their way in and out of the story.
Edward Zwick did an excellent job of blending the story with the talents of the actors.
Legend of the Fall is an emotional dramatic ride. The scenery of the remote wildernes is the perfect back drop to support the legend as it unfolds.
I would recommend this film to anyone who wants a good emotional drama with all the twists and turns of real life.

A Movie That Almost Lives Up to Its Grand Title
This is one of the most moving films I have seen in a long time. Believe me, unless you have a heart of stone, you will cry long and loud over the anguish of the two main characters, played beautifully by Brad Pitt and Aidan Quinn. Family values are at the root of this anguish, and there are many powerful and engaging scenes. I wanted to give this movie five stars, but it didn't quite live up to the implications of its grand title. The ending was a bit of a letdown as well, although it's an appropriate one for Pitt's character.

Legendary
This movie seriously kicks ass. It's been my favorite movie for years and it makes me cry everytime.

Love It
I love this movie its a wonderful love story, you can watch with your boyfriend, and he'll actually like it!It has just enough action in it and plenty of romance. If you can get it in the Target store its a few dollars cheaper BUY IT ITS GREAT

Melodrama at its finest
When people ask me about my favorite movies I give them a quick run down of my top ten: 1. The Godfather and The Godfather part II (tie), 3. The Shawshank Redemption, 4. One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest, 5. Schindler's List, 6. The Silence of the Lambs, 7. Amadeus, 8. The Princess Bride, 9. Legends of the Fall, 10. Goodfellas. I am always surprised when they laugh at the 9th movie on my list. I can't understand why people think this movie is a joke. Yes, it's melodramatic but it works beautifully. Let me also say that I am not the biggest fan of Brad Pitt. His acting pales in comparison to some of the other fine actors of his generation (ie. Ralph Fiennes, Gary Oldman, Sean Penn). That said, he is perfectly cast in this movie. His ruggedness and wildman image were established in 1992's A River Runs Through It and his role as Tristan in LOTF seems almost like an extension of his role in River. I've heard that Johnny Depp, an actor whose talents I find superior to Pitt's, was originally offered the role of Tristan. I'm glad he turned it down for no one other than Brad Pitt could have BEEN Tristan.

I've always appreciated great acting. To me, there is nothing more entertaining than watching a De Niro, Pacino or Nicholson work his magic. There is only one truly great actor in Legends of the Fall - Sir Anthony Hopkins. In my opinion, he should have won an Oscar for this supporting role. A lot of reviewers criticized the second half of his performance (after the stroke) as being a bit excessive. I thought it was necessary in this type of film.

It was because of Legends of the Fall that I took an interest in acting. Not because of Anthony Hopkins...i know I could never be half as good as he. LOTF taught me that it doesn't take great actors to make a great movie. I thought Aidan Quinn, a talented but by no means gifted actor, was brilliant in the film as the tortured victim of unrequited love. It's my opnion that Quinn delivered a top-notch performance in the film, second only to Hopkins. The scene in which Alfred (Quinn) redeems himself in his father's eyes is particularly endearing. Also, the casting of Julia Ormond as Susannah was a stroke of genius. She has such classic beauty and is wonderful at conveying emotions without speaking a word. I often wonder where the hell she disappeared to.

Finally, I cannot say enough about James Horner's breathtaking score. I first became a fan of Horner's when I saw this movie and I believe him to be the top composer in the film-scoring business (yes, even better than the great John Williams).

Don't listen to the critics. This movie is amazing. They just don't make 'em like this anymore. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

This Shrew Remains Untamed
It's very difficult to be very critical of such a roisterous, good-natured version of Shakespeare's rowdiest play, and in truth one has to admit that this is probably the first of the truly modern Shakespeare films. There are some real assets here -- Zefferelli's eye has never lighted on a landscape more beautiful, more seductive, and Nina Rota's score fits beautifully.

But Shakespeare, even on film, stands or falls on the acting. This version -- with one exception -- is filled with one-note performances (they're very GOOD notes, but single notes nonetheless). Let's deal with the exception first -- Elizabeth Taylor is a delightful, intelligent Katarina. Her development is exactly what Shakespeare obviously intended, and if her early scenes are a bit uniformly shrill, the case could be made that that's what the Bard wrote. In general, she's an admirable Kate.

Burton, however, is something else entirely. Despite his acknowledged skill with Shakespeare (his Hamlet was glorious), he takes a monochromatic approach to Petruchio, with an annoyingly stagey laugh running through virtually every scene. By halfway through the film, you tend to want him to get off screen so you don't have to listen to that "manly" laugh any longer. Unfortunately, much of Kate's dialogue was cut (the assumption being, I suppose, that Taylor would have trouble with the language) while too much of Petruchio remains.

The secondary characters, if cut from different bolts of cloth, are all a single color. Michael Hordern bumbles his way through Baptista the same way he did in countless other movies. Michael York and Natasha Pyne as the young lovers are efficient and attractive, but not particularly engaging. The suitors are a group of living cliches. Even the humor is raggedly overdone to the same degree in almost every scene.

There are things to appreciate in this movie, and there's no better Shrew available, but I'd recommend finding another of Shakespeare's comedies until a better version of this rowdy comedy comes along -- someone's bound to get it right soon.

An excellent movie to add to your collection!
This Shakespearean story is about the daughter of Baptista (Michael Hordern), Katarina (Elizabeth Taylor). Very unlike her younger, quiet and gentle sister Bianca (Natasha Pyne), Katarina is strong-willed and has a nasty temper. Many men want to woo the lovely Bianca, including a young scholar (Michael York), but Baptista is adamant that nobody will be wed with his Bianca until the older daughter, the shrew Katarina, is married. And there is only one man who is willing to marry her for her dowry, Petruchio (Richard Burton). When Petruchio and Katarina are wed (forcefully against Katarina's will), Petruchio proceeds to make his 'dear Kate' into a good wife, but is anyone capable of 'taming the shrew'?
A remarkable tale by the talented and famed writer, William Shakespear. And with a delightful cast of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, who can resist liking it? Elizabeth Taylor practically shines in her role! Especially at the part in the end where she makes her strong speech. I was as quiet and attentive as all the guests at the wedding.
For anyone who likes Shakespeare, who likes Elizabeth Taylor, or Richard Burton, or for that matter, want to watch a good movie, watch "The Taming of the Shrew".

More Fun Than A Barrel Full Of Burtons
A rollicking feast for the eye, ear, and funny bone, Franco Zeffirelli's "The Taming of The Shrew" is a tour de force for Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. This pared down version of William Shakespeare's play is a fit morsel for anyone suffering from a fear of the Bard. It's fast pace keeps things going and with a cast of well-known British stars the whole thing is served up to delectable visual perfection.
Richard Burton blends his fabled abilities as a Shakespearian genius with his star power to give us a ribald and loveable Petruchio. This is one of his crowning moments on the screen and we are lucky to have this record of Mr. Burton at his very best.
Elizabeth Taylor is a comic revelation in this, one of her jewels in her acting crown. At the time the film came out, many scoffed at the idea of a mere movie star taking on the challenges of Shakespeare. Miss Taylor rises to the challenge and shines as a stunning, sexy and very funny Kate, in fact she more than rises to the occasion, she shows her command of the medium of film and her understanding of comic timing. The wedding scene is a pure Zeffirelli invention. If you didn't know better you would swear that it was part of the play, it is so well done in faux Shakespeare. Elizabeth shines in this scene. In the final fifteen minutes when she delivers the famous "Lord and Master" speech she is triumphant as she submits to her man. At the same time we know that she is the one who holds all the cards and in the off stage end will rule the roost from now on, all the while letting poor Petruchio think he is king.
The chemistry of Burton and Taylor is pure dynamite that explodes in riotous color across Zeffirelli's Renaissance canvas. Highly recommended viewing, especially if you are new to Shakespeare. It's more fun than a barrel full of Burtons!

The Bawdy Bard !
"The Taming of the Shrew" is a delightful romp, and very entertaining, even for people who do not normally go out of their way to watch Shakespeare. I can imagine serious scholars rolling their eyes at the liberties taken here, and the "star turns" by those two icons of 60s Hollywood, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

However, for most of us who basically just want to be entertained--and I suspect with this play, that was the bard's intent--this version is good fun, robustly acted, and with lovely sets and costumes, a feast for the eye. One suspects that Ms. Taylor had a ball, hurling insults and various pieces of furniture at her real-life, on-again off-again, spouse. It looks like Mr. Burton had a good time too, although one frequently has the impression that this was a "well-lubricated" performance !

The supporting cast is fine, with a pleasant film debut for Michael York. As usual, Zeffirelli gives us a film that is gorgeous to look at--and I'm not just referring to Ms. Taylor !
The DVD has a certain haziness to it, but this may be the way that Zeffirelli intended the film to look.

"The Taming of the Shrew" today, of course, is about as "politically incorrect" as a piece of literature can be. While women will find this film amusing, the idea that the female spirit should be "reined in" like that of a wild horse, will cause some discomfort to feminist viewers, I'm sure.

Nevertheless, this film is highly entertaining, and might give younger viewers an idea as to what all the Taylor/Burton fuss was about. Recommended.

Burton & Taylor Are Pure, Fiery, & Feisty Sex Magic
No wonder Burton and Taylor married and divorced many times. The sexual tension between them in this film can be cut with a knife. Taylor plays Kate, the beautiful, fiery, feisty, mean-spirited, unloved eldest daughter of a wealthy man. She has a beautiful & kind sister who has a string of beaus, but... the eldest sister MUST marry first. Enter Burton as Petruchio. Loud, boisterous, dirty, obnoxious and SEXY! He plans to tame Kate, marry her and be a rich man on her dowry. The famous tongue in the tail speech is given on their first meeting, which sets the mood for lusty, sweaty, swarthy fighting. All the while, the sexual tension builds throughout. Many fights & torments ensue... with a beautiful ending that I will not spoil. If you like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton or just the great and powerful Bard, himself, this is a great movie, directed by the great Franco Zefferelli that is a must see! "There is no other beast on Earth so horrible as man..." (Katharina, Taming Of The Shrew) ... Read more

Reviews (59)

AFI top 100- Winner of 8 Oscars-Including Best Movie 1953!!
"From Here to Eternity" made from Best Seller book of 1951 written by James Jones. Now digitally re-mastered both in video and sound provides us with this classic on DVD with background extras. The cast (Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Montgomery Cliff, Donna Reed and Frank Sinatra)was perfectly chosen and proved by the 13 Oscar nominations and winner of 8 including "Best Picture and Director - Fred Zinneman". Frank Sinatras "Best Supporting Actor" come back role is just the beginning.
In Summary: a few days prior to Pearl Harbor we find ourselves involved with these military characters and women struggling to find better lives in the volatile world of 1941. Knowing war is coming they try desparately to make their lives more meanigfully. The main focus is around the Army life style and how their lives were effected by events they had no real control over. Lancaster played a top sergeant having an affair with his Company Commanders wife (Kerr), Cliff and Sinatra were 2 soldiers in the same company who befriend each other and end up both being killed by circumstances in this troubled time of December 7, 1941.
This Black & White classic film broke all kinds of barriers for subject matter and character/star representation. Reed as a saloon gal. Kerr as a steamy temptress (infamous Beach Love scene with Lancaster).
Sit back and take a ride "FROM HERE TO ETERNITY".

"A man don't go his own way, he's nothing."
Fred Zinnemann's "From Here to Eternity" simply has not aged well. It's place in cinematic history remains secure: Frank Sinatra's Oscar, Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr embracing in the surf, and the Oscar for Best Picture. Yet, what was considered an adult film back in 1953 plays like a run-of-the-mill soap opera in the present day.

As Sergeant Warden (Lancaster) and Karen Holmes (Kerr), the wife of his superior, start to fall in love, Private Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) is trying to find a way to avoid participating in his unit's boxing championship. Prewitt finds support from his friend Maggio (Sinatra) who tries to protect him from the pressures around him and finds love with Lorene (Donna Reed), a "working girl" who has temporarily relocated to Hawaii. Into the mix is thrown a sadistic warden played by Ernest Borgnine and the bombing of Pearl Harbor which plunges all involved straight into World War II.

"From Here to Eternity" is filled with one character after another who is desperate. All of them are either desperate for power, desperate for love, desperate for acceptance, or desperate to escape their past. Yet, the plotlines in the film do not produce the same emotional jolt it did five decades ago. Extramarital affairs, bullying authority figures, and fallen women are all topics on trivial daytime television shows today. These mature themes just do not hold your interest anymore when looked at through the veil of time. When this aspect of the film is removed, what is left is just a routine "day-in-the-lives" story.

Yet the film still has many things going for it. All of the performances are fine: Sinatra reminds viewers just how talented an actor he was in years past, the chemistry between Lancaster and Kerr is still electric, and Clift turns in another low-key but effective performance. And even though it's legacy may be slightly diminished, "From Here to Eternity" will always be fondly remembered as the film that more than any other made making out at the beach fashionable.

1950's Hollywood Mess
The Godfather got Sinatra the part of Maggio, but I think the producer was right; Sinatra stinks in that part. Talk about over acting; Sinatra has no subtlety at all. Now Lancaster is terrific, a soldier's soldier and Deborah Kerr slips into the part of a lonely wife of a louse effortlessly. The script of the James Jones book is a mess. The Lancaster-Kerr romance works almost, but the Cliff-Donna Reed love story is hurried and unbelievable. She's a dance hostess my a**. The mores of the 1950's did this interesting story wrong. These people are seething with sexuality, but somehow, Hollywood squeezed the juice out of em.

Great movie, so-so DVD
While the digital transfer is good and I enjoyed the movie for the first time without all the white noise and sound pops, all the special features that it boasts are disappointing.
For people who enjoy classic movies, you really can't do better than this. The movie is able to stand well enough on it's own without really needing these "features" to back it up and I recommend this DVD version only for that reason.
However those who love collectors edition DVD's, especially ones on Oscar flicks may feel slighted. There are two lackluster featurettes. One being a "Making Of" that is more or less a rehash of the production notes found inside of the case. The other focusing on Fred Zinneman, the movie's director, is slighlty more interesting. But both have more footage of the film itself than behind the scenes and both run under ten minutes. What they should have done was combine the two. The Commentary by the son of the director also leaves much to be desired. The only reason why I harp on these is that I know what Columbia is capable of doing better. Take a look at "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Bridge on the River Kwai"

However, I'm glad I got this and recommend it despite my gripes. Just be aware of the its shortcomings. It's a great film that speaks for itself and after having the DVD for a few years now, I still find myself taking this off the shelf from time to time.

The Peacetime Classic !
"From Here to Eternity" is a Hollywood classic. It may be the finest film ever about the military in peacetime. The background is Schofield Barracks, Hawaii in the Fall of 1941. That was the old "brown boot" Army! This reviewer is a Vietnam era vet, so I can't address the realism of the setting. Judging by the crisp dialog and snappy khaki uniforms, I'm giving the director the benefit of any doubt. I always thought it fascinating that an Austrian born Director could be at the helm of such classics as "High Noon" and FHTE -in consecutive years no less. What did Mr. Zinnemann know of the Old West or the American Army? The male lead is Burt Lancaster as First Sergeant Warden, a tough but fair NCO that any enlisted man would want for his "top". The second male lead is Private Prewitt, played by Montgomery Clift. Prewitt is a top bugler who isn't allowed to bugle and a top boxer who reuses to box for the company team! How that automatic conflict plays out is the heart of the movie. Another conflict is between Frank Sinatra, a happy go lucky but harmless enlisted man who trouble seems to follow and an evil Ernest Borgnine, the top MP at the Schofield stockade. Their "dispute" plays out too, with Clift a surprise key figure in its' "resolution". This reviewer believes that far too much attention has been lavished on the affair between Lancaster and Deborah Kerr, the wife of the Company Commander. I found it hard to swallow that any serious career man would run around openly with an officer's wife. Lancaster was one step away from a bust down to the lowest private and a trip to the stockade. The real female star here was Donna Reed, a bar "hostess' who would be a prostitute in real life. Her sensitivity toward Clift produces some of the best scenes in FHTE. Someone must have agreed because Donna walked off with the Best Supporting Actress Oscar- and promptly fainted after receiving it. The interplay between Lancaster/Kerr and Clift/Reed caused some huge challenges for the Director in making the bawdy best selling novel "clean" for the silver screen in the still conservative, prudish America of 1953. FHTE also contains some of the sharpest dialog and one liners this reviewer can remember. Two favorites: "Never disturb a man when he's drinking" (Lancaster) and "No one lies about being lonely"(Clift). In addition to Reed, Oscars were awarded for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Film Editing, Cinematography and Supporting Actor, (Sinatra). The last two are important: FHTE revived Frank's career. Many believe that "pressure" was applied to Harry Cohn and Columbia Pictures to hire Sinatra. Do we remember the "horses head in the bed" scene from Godfather I? Others claim that his then wife, Ava Gardner, supplied the "influence". Finally FHTE is yet another example of why black and white classics should not be colorized. If there is such a thing as "beautiful black and white", it is this one. .... ... Read more

Description

Toula Portokalos is a quiet, devoted daughter in a big, hectic, crazy Greek family. Working at her father's restaurant, "Dancing Zorba's," she hides behind a mop of mousy brown hair and thick, impenetrable glasses, keeping her family close and the world at a distance. But one day at the restaurant, she finds herself pouring coffee for a man so strikingly good-looking, that he inspires her to change her life - and the way she sees the world - forever. With a new hairdo, wardrobe, contact lenses, and most important of all, a whole new attitude, Toula steps out into the world a new woman, all ready to meet her man. Ian Miller is tall, handsome, but definitely not Greek. And whether he can handle Toula, her parents, her aunts, uncles, cousins and several centuries of Greek culture remains to be seen. But when you see the world through Toula's eyes, anything is possible! ... Read more

Reviews (686)

A Surprise Hit - Well Worth Watching!
Screenplay writer doubling as actress, Nia Vardalos plays herself - the frumpy daughter in a paternalistic Greek family in Chicago. She's dying to get out from the family business, a Greek restaurant, so that she can take some classes at the local college.

Enter Ian, a handsome suitor that is perfect in every way but one. He's not Greek.

Hilarity ensues as Ian introduces Nia to his family and she introduces Ian to her family. The cultural and familial differences make for many laughs.

The film nails the family relations perfectly - aunts that like to talk about their medical conditions, overprotective brothers, a misguided but loving father that likes to use Windex, a mother obsessed with cooking, the nosy beauty-queen cousin....

Most anyone will be able to identify with this film. It makes no difference whether one comes from a Greek background or not.

The film is filled with genuine laughs and subtle humor (e.g. as Ian tries to attract Nia's attention outside the storefront window he runs into an old woman who then takes it out on him with her purse). I found myself laughing throughout.

The characters are well played. Nia plays the role she was born to play - herself, and the film is thankfully absent of any high-powered Hollywood names. With no big names to distract the viewer, it makes the film work well.

Look for either a sequel or a sitcom to be spawned from this surprise blockbuster. Three cheers for independent films!

Hilarious and sweet
I saw this movie with my best friend and it was awesome.

I love how Ian goes to great lengths to be accepted by Toula's family. He's someone any woman would love to have. When Toula was "frump girl" he saw past that and just saw her as she is.

Although her family can be a huge pain in the ass, they only want what's best for her. In a way,they remind me of my family.

Everyone should see this movie. It'll make you laugh and it has really sweet moments.

It's All Greek To Me!
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is the Greek-American take on love, work, food, drink, school, language, religion, fashion and dating among other things. As the title suggests, it features a massive cast of relatives, half of which are called "Nick".

Toula (Nia Vardalos) is a 30 year old Greek-American waitress at her parents restaurant. Her folks want her married and with children. She is shy, a little ashamed of her family, and looking for something new in her life. She lands a job at a Greek-American run travel agent and meets Ian Miller (John Corbett), a handsome, long haired guy, and a non-Greek to boot. HE'S something new! Toula falls in love with him, secretly dates him, and eventually gets proposed to by him. A clash of cultures follows as the wedding draws near!

The love element is just the icing on the cake. What this film is really about is Greek-Americans and their way of life, which may often seem strange and silly to outsiders but really is close knit, fun loving and family centred. I have some Greek friends, and though living in Australia they're slightly different here, the attitudes, the values, the oddities and the relatives are pretty similar to those shown in the film. It's not that exaggerated or played up upon, as a lot of other Hollywood films often are.

If anything, maybe it's a little downplayed. My Greek friends are a lot louder and larger than life that this cast. A little more entertaining too, actually. Maybe because of this, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" it didn't really have a big impact on me. I'd seen all these cultural elements before, so it wasn't a novelty, and since I'm not a Greek immigrant myself (or a child of), it was harder to relate to. Still, that's just me. This film is warm hearted, funny and insightful, and you can tell that everyone involved had a lot of fun recreating a Greek-American household.

If you liked this film, you may also like to see "The Wog Boy", a slightly sillier movie about the life of a workshy Greek-Australian.

You have to see this movie!!!
I first saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding alone on the big screen. I had no idea that it would be such a hit.

Nia Vardalos does an incredible job about bringing out the humor in what it means to be a Greek American. I laughed before things were even said in the movie -- the Greek school scene, the Greek "boys" her dad wants her to marry, the brother, and the pomp & circumstance of the wedding. This is a funny movie, I think for non-Greeks, but for Greeks, it's a must. You have to see this movie. How often does anyone make a movie about Greek Americans anyway??

That being said, the dialogue could have been improved. Ian was a bit boring and flat of a character. I suppose that was the point, seeing as we were supposed to "see" Toula better. I think if Vardalos had realized what a hit she had on her hands, there would have been more polish on the movie. As it is, it is a diamond in the rough -- more or less.

A funny light entertainment
This film is austere but delightful. Written with sincerity and honesty. Affective memories support this movie.
Laughable situations along the process to approach to the greek mood.
Good performances and fluid script. ... Read more

Reviews (93)

Pleasing ghostly experience.
A picture-perfect modern-day romance that tells an exciting romantic story, "Ghost" is one of the best romantic films ever made. In it, we see just what lengths someone will go to for their love for someone else, and also shows us that the love we have for someone in our life goes on after death. Director Jerry Zucker, and acting by Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg, all make this movie a landmark that everybody knows about.

What is so special about the story is the connection between the two romantic leads. Swayze plays Sam Wheat, who, with his longtime girlfriend Molly, is remodeling a penthouse apartment in New York, where they soon live together, completely happy and in love. We have no reason to question the love story angle because the direction and acting tell us from the very beginning the nature of their relationship, and does it in understandable terms. Sam also works for a major banking corporation, where he has a best friend Carl, who seems more than willing to take certain workloads off of Sam's shoulders. One night, Sam and Molly are set upon by a thief, who demands Sam's wallet, and after a struggle, Sam is left with a fatal gunshot wound. Of course, being dead, he is now a ghost, and must watch as Molly comes to the realization that her lover is dead.

The acting of these two actors is what makes all of this incredibly affecting, most especially Molly's coping with Sam's sudden exit from her life. She keeps his personal things, as well as any little scrap of paper or memory she can hold onto, with Sam watching all of this from behind her shoulder and Carl trying his best to comfort and console her. Sam soon pays a visit to a con artist medium named Otta Mae Brown, played by Whoopi Goldberg, who is the only person that Sam is able to talk to. The comedy of the movie really picks up as we are given scenes of Brown walking in the streets arguing with the air, talking to the walls, and having hissy fits with Sam in public. Goldberg is really given a chance to shine in this role, playing out some of her best lines and material ever.

Comedy then mixes with drama and action as the plot reveals that Carl was a mastermind behind a murder conspiracy. Carl is in desperate need of money, and when he found out that Sam was in charge of a four million dollar bank account, he hired a hitman to have Sam killed in order to try and take over the account and steal the money. As he further tries to worm his way into Molly's life, Sam becomes more and more determined to try and find a way of reaching her aside from giving Otta Mae instructions on what to say to her. Swayze is able to give us a powerhouse performance here, as his character sits back and can do nothing to physically protect his love. He feels weak, helpless, and these emotions are played out brilliantly.

The film won an Academy Award, one of two, for Best Original Screenplay for 1990. The script is a melting pot of many different elements: comedy that comes from the relationship of Otta Mae and Sam's collaboration, supernatural elements stemming from the ghost angle, thriller techniques that reside in the mystery of Sam's death and Carl's intentions, and most important, the love story that Molly and Sam live out, which serves as the basis for everything that happens. It has a little bit of everything for everyone, which gave diverse audiences what they wanted and made it a sheer success among people.

Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze both give excellent performances that keep the love story going. They both have a chemistry that never stops or staggers the film, but keeps it going. Whoopi Goldberg is Otta Mae Brown, a role she was born to play and for which she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her comic genius and diverse areas of acting play a major role, and sometimes become the heart of the film. Tony Goldwyn plays the conniving Carl, and does so effectively. He is one of those few people in a movie that the audience can truly despise for his crimes, and when the ending comes, it is pure satisfaction to watch him get what's coming to him.

"Ghost" is nothing short of a successful movie, keeping us enthralled with comedic, romantic and thrilling elements, making us believe in things beyond this world. It never stops moving, it is utterly original, and it keeps us at the edge of our seats as well as tugging at our hearts.

One of the best movies from the 90's
Fantastic blend of romance, drama, suspense, comedy, and special effects in this decade old stroy about love after death.

When Sam (Patrick Swayze) is brutally murdered, his spirit, which is trapped between 2 dimensions, returns to earth to investigate the crime and protect his grieving girlfriend Molly (Demi Moore). After discovering that his death wasn't just an accidental mugging and his killing was orchestrated by a seemingly unlikely culprit, Sam realises that Molly's life is very much in jeopardy.

Desperate to communicate to Molly the danger she is in, Sam seeks the help of Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg, who won a deserved Oscar for this role), a confidence trickster/storefront psychic with big hair and an attitude to match. At first Molly is sceptical of Oda Mae's ability to hear Sam's voice (and so is everyone else) but after discovering that it isn't fake, she and Oda Mae team up to thwart the evil intentions of Sam's murderers.

"Ghost" was released cinematically at around the same time as "Always" and "Almost An Angel," and it is by far the best film of the 3. Its story and messages combine to assure the viewer, no matter what religion they may be, that although we will all physically die, we will never be truly dead unless we are forgotten and that love is immortality.

a real 'weepy'
This is a real tearjerker of a movie. Watch it with a box of tissues to hand.
It essentially covers the theme of life after death and is about Sam (Patrick Swayze) and his girlfriend Molly (Demi Moore) and their lives after Sam is murdered.
The real scene-stealer is Whoopie Goldberg as the medium trying to act as go between. She manages to inject humour into the role, which stops the film becoming too morose. Her reaction when she realises she has real psychic powers and is not just a fake conning bereaved people is hilarious.
Well worth watching.

Terrible script...
This was the first movie I ever saw where the credits said "Written by" and then the rest of the movie played itself out and I figured the script was just a cheap soap opera disguised as a movie. Boil it down, there is not much story here. Man comes back in ghost form to save girlfriend from the man who killed him. The dialoge is really cheesy and makes little sense. Moore and Swazie are miscast, and the ending is predictable and lacks any emotional impact. This was typical of a lot of manstream movie production in the 90's. The scripts were badly written and looked like they belongd more on cheap television shows. The trend still continues to this day.

Without Whoopi It'll Be NOTHING
whoopi apparently isnt as pretty as Halle but definitely she is aa phenomenal actress. The black society hasnt fully accepted her bcos she is fond of white guys. I believe it comes with the territory. Its a risk for anyone who wants to make it real big in the game. She added spice to the movie and made it really worth watching. Every person needs to go cop this DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (103)

One of the Best Westerns ever. Gary Cooper wins 2nd Oscar!
This Western is told in a real time, nail biting, how does it feel to be alone scenario. Digitally remastered the picture & sound are extrodinary to the story telling. Oscar winning opening song "Don't Forsake Me" sung by Tex Ritter sets the stage for the "Miller Gangs" return.

Will Cain (Cooper) on this his happiest day of his life having a wedding and retirement ceremony (from being the town Marshall) has his past suddenly become the challenge of a lifetime. Vengeful returning outlaws are seeking Cain.

Everyone wants him to go on his honeymoon and leave town immediately. His sense of loyalty & duty is to stay until the new Marshall arrives. Problem no one stands beside him to defend the town. Will Cain must do it alone.

What is so wonderful about this classic black & white western is the real-time scenario from about 10:40 am until 12:00pm "High Noon". Clocks & railroad tracks are the major ingredients to the suspense. These desparados are coming on the noon train.

This is a great movie and "The Making of High Noon" with Leonard Maltin is wonderful. You'll be watching this movie more than once. This is a western to have in your DVD library now!

High Noon Does Not Foresake the Viewer
Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly are spectacular in what is considered one of the best westerns ever made, but should be ranked as one of the greatest films ever produced because it easily transcends its genre.

A morality play that was deliberately produced in stark black-and-white to heighten the mood, the story revolves around Cooper's character, the aging Marshal of Hadleyville who, when the film begins, weds Kelly's character. Cooper has retired and plans to return after his honeymoon as a store keeper because his wife is a Quaker and a pacifist. Plans immediately go awry, however, when it is discovered that a notorious killer whom Cooper had arrested and was expected to have been executed, was instead pardoned. The killer is expected to arrive back in town on the noon train to take revenge on Cooper. Three of his equally savage gang have already arrived and are waiting for him at the train station.

The townspeople urge Cooper to flee with his new wife, but as he starts out of town, he stops, then returns, convinced that he has a responsibility to protect the town and bring the outlaws to justice. Pinning the marshal's badge back on, Cooper tries to deputize residents, but no one will help him and he is forced to stand alone. In powerful scenes, Cooper is forced to ask for help time-after-time but is turned down by residents who refuse to accept civic responsibility or acknowledge the debt they owe Cooper, rationalizing their decision not to act.

Kelly doesn't understand her new husband and threatens to leave on the same noon train if he persists in remaining as the marshall this one last time. Kelly eventually begins to understand what drives Cooper but only after forming an unlikely friendship with his former girlfriend, who teaches Kelly about loyalty and character. Ironically, it is Kelly the pacifist who saves Cooper's life by picking up a .45 and killing one of the gunmen.

In the last scene, the steets are utterly deserted until the gunmen are killed, then the townspeople, who had been hiding, flock around Cooper and Kelly. Without a word, Cooper removes his badge and drops it in the dirt. He and Kelly leave together.

Throughout the movie, the stirring music and the real-time focus of the minutes ticking by until High Noon, serve to increase the movie's tension. The film combines elements of love, trust, duty, honor and courage in unexpected ways that are both thought-provoking and entertaining. The DVD version is crisp and clean, the story as powerful today as when it was filmed. If you have never seen this movie, you owe it to yourself to pick up this DVD.

The clock is ticking
It's half past ten in a little western town, and the local marshall of law, Mr. Kane (Gary Cooper) just got married to a gorgeous Quaker girl (Grace Kelly, always a sight for sore eyes). Mr Kane will now retire as a marshall, and head to a new and peaceful life. Or will he? At the telegraph station the postmaster gets a cable stating that a dangerous bandit (Frank Miller) will arrive in the twelve o'clock train. At the train depot, three of Miller's gunmen are wating for him. When he arrives, they will seek revenge against the one man that tried, unsuccessfully, to convict Miller of a capital crime: Mr Kane himself.

During these 90 minutes, Gary Cooper will try to get help from the local population, old friends, and a man who wants to be the next sheriff (Lloyd Bridges). But it will not be an easy task. Add to that the fact that his brand new wife abhorres violence, and threatens to leave him less than two hours after the marriage - in fact she says she'll leave in the train that brings the outlaw Miller to town.

People think this is a western classic. Wrong. "High noon" is surely a classic, but not a western. It only happens to be set in the old west. To say the truth, "High noon" is more like a thriller with a Hitchcockian feeling to it. The western setting (violence, lack of respect for the laws, gunfights, dry and sun-scorched landscape, etc.) is present to add to the mounting tension and suspense that grow with each shot depicting the face of a clock and the relentless passage of time towards noon and the train arrival.

What makes this movie great is the seemingly dead-end situation, the great dialogues, and very good acting by Gary Cooper (which earned him an Oscar, when the Academy Awards were not given for political reasons), Grace Kelly, Lloyd Bridges, among others (and Lee Van Cleef, the infamous "Angel Eyes" from "The good, the bad and the ugly" - he doesn't say a word, but those eyes are surely creepy).

I will not give "High noon" five stars because I felt the script could be a little more developed. The ending is too rushed and kind of unsatisfying. But this is an excellent movie nonetheless. And, I say it again, this is not a "western" in the common sense of the genre.

Grade 8.0/10

High time for High Noon
"High Noon" is the classic western movie about a marshall facing down four badmen alone after the townsmen refuse to help him. Although it has a western setting, it could have easily been most any other locale because the psychological and social aspects are the important themes, not the old West, or riding horses. Made during the time of McCarthy and the Communist witch hunt, many have read political undertones into the movie.

A seemingly unusual cast includes Gary Cooper ("Sergeant York", "Pride of the Yankees") as the good-guy out-going marshall, Grace Kelly ("Rear Window") as his new wife, Lloyd Bridges ("Sea Hunt", "Airplane") as the deputy, Lee Van Cleef (the "bad" of "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly") as one silent badguy, Lon Chaney ("The Wolfman"), and Henry Morgan ("MASH").

The movie proceeds in nearly real time - it starts about 10:30 AM and ends shortly after noon - and clocks are increasingly prominent in nearly every scene. The leader of the badmen, Frank Miller, who was sent to prison by the marshall under a death sentence but was released, is now coming to town on the noon train to kill marshall Kane. Three of his friends are waiting at the station to greet and assist him in killing the marshall. That same morning, Kane is getting married to a violence-abhoring Quaker woman and is going to give up being marshall because of it. After learning Frank Miller is coming to town, the wife convinces Cane to essentially skip town and they leave, but the marshall gets his sense of duty back and returns to town. He and his wife argue, and she is determined to leave on the noon train. The judge also packs his things and leaves town. The marshall's deputy also quits. Kane goes around town trying to organize a posse, but only one capable man volunteers (the other is a one-eyed drunk) but he subsequently backs out.

Cane is forced to face the men alone. I won't spoil the ending.

At a time when movies (even bad ones) were being made in color, "High Noon" was shot in black-and-white, trying to get an unglamorous look to it modeled after Matthew Brady's photographs of the civil war, and succeeds. There is no beautiful sky and clouds, or cactus and sunsets. It is great cinematography however. Oscars for Best Actor, Editing, Song and Score.

Reasonably-priced DVD picture and sound are good. It has an average commentary by daughter of actor, son of singer, son of writer and son of director. Also has a short documentary, a fair behind-the-scenes, and a 5-plus minute radio interview with singer Tex Ritter.

When people do nothing...
As a high school student, I was taught how to write a screenplay through the first 5 minutes of this film. I never forgot how to do it either! It's simple storytelling, really. This is a classic story of one man forced to take care of unfinished business without any help. It's a story of good and evil. And it's a story of what happens when people don't help each other. Gary Cooper is awesome as the Marshall who must fight alone. Grace Kelly is beautiful in this movie. Though it may seem ugly to watch, the director, Fred Zimmerman and his Cinematographer shot this film without any special lenses or adjustments, making this movie an outstanding piece of work and possibly the greatest western ever made! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Part of the late-'70s wave of films about strong women (as if none had existed before that), Julia starred Jane Fonda as writer Lillian Hellman in a story based on some of Hellman's own writings. The stronger woman here is the title character (Vanessa Redgrave), a socially active young woman who teaches Hellman the importance of sticking to her beliefs--even in the face of Nazi terror. The subplot focuses on Hellman's growth as a writer, under the supportive wing of lover Dashiell Hammett (Jason Robards). Lushly photographed by Fred Zinnemann, it's one of the few films that projects a sense of how a writer writes; it also was unafraid to explore the dark consequences of conscience, when Resistance-fighter Julia is captured by the Germans. Robards and Redgrave both won Oscars (leading to Redgrave's Zionist hoodlums acceptance speech). Watch for Meryl Streep in a tiny role in her film debut. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (17)

JANE & VANESSA AT THEIR BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have seen this film many times and each time it's new. Jane is so real playing nervous when being searched on the train! Even though I know the outcome I
still squirm in my seat--thats a great proformance--

Julia
Based on a section of Lilian Hellman's PENTIMENTO, it tells about Hellman's gradual involvement in the resistance movement during WW II. Jane Fonda plays Hellman, Jason Robards is Dashiel Hammett in a bit role, and Vanessa Redgrave is Julia, a rich friend of Hellman's since childhood who is deeply involved in the German resistance. Hellman is asked to smuggle $50,000 into Germany on her way to Moscow; she does so under great risk, and then Julia is arrested and murdered. Julia is supposed to represent great courage, and Redgrave plays her with an angelic quality; Hellman is the initiate into all that Julia is. Done very artfully, though it's lacking in drama.

The Truth behind..."Julia"
Hellman had a childhood friend (Alice) that grew up and died in the Vienna riots, 1934. (An Unfinished Woman, chapter four). Obviously, this is what inspired the Chapter....Julia... in her later book. So the story is probably true to the point where they charged the students...and the newspaper headline that follows. Scenes at the hospital were probably made up as her friend, Alice, died in the riots. The train trip was probably made up , but she did go to Moscow.

The story of her life with Hammett is completely believable even though locations may have been changed. Her relationship with Dorothy Parker, and the trip to Paris....look to be true. The later part of the movie as to how she dealt with Julia's body could have well been true...but happened immediately after the Vienna riot.

The part where Hammett says...."You'd better tear that up.." happened later in her life in regards to the play..."The Autumn Garden" and not in relation to her first play.."The Children's Hour".

The movie, the story...very well done. Fonda, Redgrave, and Robarts...all excellent.

If you really want to enjoy this movie. I suggest you do the following reading. Hellman's three books....plus her play ..."The Children's Hour". Read about Dorothy Parker, I believe there is a book "The Life and Times of Dorothy Parker." I can not recall the title exactly. It's the times of the 30's that is really interesting to me and frames this story superbly.

Best Movie in the History of the World
Everything works in this beautiful period piece, especially the acting. The design and costuming are also spectacular, as is the powerful, poignant script. It's a hero's journey/road picture to outdo any other, as far as I'm concerned, with bravery against Nazis thrown in for good measure -- lovely work that happens to feature Meryl Streep's film debut.

Truth? Fiction?Or Just A Darned Good Story
Occasionally, when I'm dashing off a review for amazon.com, I will try to adopt a less subjective, somewhat more professional style.Sometimes this is little more than a kind of writing exercise: sometimes it may be just because I've looked at some of my other reviews and seen (much to my own embarrassment) how often the pronoun "I" comes up.Who needs that?

But then *I* think there really are some advantages to talking about film in a subjective mode.Perhaps more than any other art form (except maybe, popular music and--if you view it as an artform--television), the movies just about beg for a subjective analysis.It's what made reading Pauline Kael so much fun after all.Ultimately, movie criticism is about what you like, what moved you, whether or not you could relate to the action on the screen, whether or not you even WANTED to relate to the action on the screen.The whole schmier.

And another advantage to the subjective approach--so often, when I re-watch a movie, I respond to it completely differently from the last time.A film you loved twenty years ago has you scratching your head and saying, "WHAT was I thinking."And a film you detested can take on a positive new light for reasons that you can't even begin to put your finger on.You may even find that you go back and forth with a given film to the extent that you begin to realize that subjective commentary may be the ONLY truly honest commentary.

Case in point, Fred Zinneman's 1977 film JULIA.There was a time when I was very ambivalent (and really mostly negative) about this movie.It seemed to be an exercise in earnestness, kind of "special project" movie that the relatively recently politicized Jane Fonda undertook so frequently in the 1970s.Actually, though, I found that the political story worked pretty well.The subplot about Lillian's struggles to establish herself as a playwright nearly drove me up the wall, precisely for the reasons that others have detailed here.The scenes of her chainsmoking, tearing her hair--and actually throwing the typewriter out the window (try doing that with your computer these days) virtually SCREAMED "serious writer at work."When I watched this film in my 20s, I wasn't very patient with what I felt were cinematic cliches.

When I watched the film again recently, I found that these scenes didn't bother me half as much as they had back then.It may well be it's because I've seen hundreds of films in the interim and have come to realize that there is a kind of "cinematic shorthand" (a much friendlier term than "cinematic cliche, wouldn't you say?) that has always been employed (whether you're talking about images of the hands of clock speeding by--or calendar pages being torn off--or something as basic as a voiceover, a device central to the film JULIA).I seem to have grown a lot more patient with such cinematic conventions over the years.And in the case of JULIA, I have actually started to see the typewriter throwing as further possible evidence of a self-mythologizing tendency on the part of Lillian Hellman, the author of